Safety First

SAFETY FIRST! from the SQE Department

MESSAGE FROM THE DPA: Getting back on course!

Dear seafarers, A few days ago we carried out the 2nd WebForum with our Seafarers, which was such a great success! I want to mention this year’s WebForum in my message in this issue, mostly because of the great feelings I had during that day. It felt like we were getting back together – like we were getting REALLY connected. Even though people from the office contact the vessels every day for our routine tasks, having the connection of a Forum is a completely different feeling. It felt like we were “GETTING BACK ON COURSE”, which was this year’s theme. During the preparations for the Web Forum, one of the shore people’s targets was to try share with the vessels, in a realistic way, what our job is like here at Head Office. We were able to achieve this through certain video sessions. On the part of our Seafarers, during the preparations, we received amazing and powerful footage with video messages from vessels that injected warmth into the atmosphere of the Forum. We all miss the physical forums so much, but this online one was also very rewarding since we witnessed such enthusiasm from our Seafarers either onboard or ashore, from all over the world. On the other hand, there was an advantage: more than 500 seafarers were connected at the same time in addition to the people from Head Office and the Cenmar offices. Some of the strongest messages that were conveyed during the Web Forum were:

Elli Moretti

CENMAR Family No Blame Learner’s Mindset

Safety Culture Almost as opposed to Always Safe Go with the Flow

Weak Signals vs Safety Navigate with Safety One Team

Stay Safe

So yes, online Forums can be a success! And to prove it, please watch the whole event. You will receive instructions on how to view the Web Forum video.

I wish you safe voyages and a safe return home, Elli Moretti

ZERO ACCIDENTS

A MAJOR INCIDENT Deviation from the planned route was the cause of the grounding of a giant ore carrier

The Master’s decision to deviate from the planned route was among the causal factors in what an investigation conducted by the Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator has identified as a “very serious” marine casualty: the February 2020 grounding of a very large ore carrier. The 300,660 dwt Marshall Islands registered vessel contacted the bottom after departing from Ponta da Madeira, Brazil on February 24 2020, laden with 294,871 tonnes of iron ore. The ship’s hull was damaged, resulting in the flooding of multiple voids and water ballast tanks. “The ship anchored while the crewmembers assessed the damage and attempted to control the flooding using fixed and portable pumps,” says the investigation report. “After several hours, it was determined that sea water was flooding the damaged voids and tanks faster than the fixed and portable pumps could pump it out. Based on this assessment, the Master moved the ship to shallower water and intentionally grounded the ship on the morning of February 25 2020.” Subsequently, salvors removed 3,500 tonnes of fuel oil and 140 tonnes of diesel fuel that had been on board the ship. They then began lightering the ship’s cargo. By May 27 2020, about 145,000 tonnes of cargo had been lightered and the ship was refloated. The ship was immediately towed and reanchored in deeper water, where a damage survey was conducted. Based on the findings, it was determined that the vessel was a constructive total loss. On June 12 2020, the ore carrier was scuttled with the remaining cargo on board approximately 55-60 nautical miles northeast of the entrance to the Baía de São Marcos approach channel in more than 2,700 metres of water. All hazardous materials had previously been removed from the ship before it was scuttled. The marine safety investigation conducted by the Republic of the Marshall Islands identified that causal factors which contributed to the casualty included the Master’s decision to deviate from the planned route during the outbound transit of Baía de São Marcos and pass within 1 nautical mile of a 20-metre shoal based on limited hydrographic information provided on the chart. The report also identified ineffective bridge resource management (BRM) during the ship’s outbound transit of Baía de São Marcos. TRUST: TEn Really Useful Safety Tips Use your Daily Work Planning Meeting and Risk Assessment to prevent accidents!

RA and DWPM (& Tool Box Talks) are closely connected. Make them practical and substantial!

RISK ASSESSMENT 1. Ensure the RA is relevant for the task and has been properly reviewed to determine the risk. 2. Be curious and ask the question

“What is the worst that could happen?” 3. If unsure of the task, then visit the worksite before commencing the RA. 4. Ensure staff are experienced and able to conduct a RA.

DWPM During your DWPM, a quality TOOL BOX TALK (TBT) must be undertaken: 5. A TBT must be specific and refer to the Risk Assessment. 6. Have the TBT at the worksite. If that is not practical, always visit the worksite before starting the TBT. 7. Have the TBT just prior to beginning work. 8. Ensure the TBT is a discussion / conversation and not just telling staff what to do. 9. Listen and ask questions to measure understanding. 10. Ensure sufficient time is allocated for a TBT.